How Executive Coaching is Different
from Consulting, Mentoring, and Counseling
COACHING | CONSULTING | MENTORING | COUNSELING |
Deals mostly with a person's present and seeks to guide them into a more desirable future. | Deals mostly with problems and seeks to provide information to solve them. | Deals mostly with succession training and seeks to help someone do what you do. | Deals mostly with a person's past and pain, and seeks healing. |
Co-creative, equal partnership. Coach helps client discover their own answers. |
Expert-person with problem relationship. Consultant has the answers. |
Older/wiser-younger/less experienced relationship. Mentor has the answers. |
Doctor-patient relationship. Therapist has the answers. |
Assumes emotions are natural and normalizes them. | Does not normally address or deal with emotions (informational only). | Limited to emotional response of the mentoring parameters (succession, etc.). | Assumes many emotions are a symptom of something wrong. |
The coach stands with you, and helps you identify the challenges, then works with you to turn challenges into victories and holds you accountable to reach your desired goals. | The consultant stands back, evaluates a situation, then tells you the problem and how to fix it. | The mentor allows you to observe his/her behavior and expertise, and provides guidance and wisdom so you can do what they did. | The therapist diagnoses, then provides professional expertise and guidelines to give counselee a path to healing. |